The character of that dominion given
O'er other creatures: yet when I approach
Her lovelinefs, fo abfolute fhe seems,
And in herself complete, fo well to know
Her own, that what she wills to do or fay,
Seems wifeft, virtuouseft, discreetest, best;
All higher knowledge in her prefence falls.
Degraded; wisdom in difcourfe with her
Lofes difcount'nanc'd, and like folly fhows;.
Authority and reafon on her wait,

As one intended firft, not after made

Occafionally; and, to confummate all,

Greatnefs of mind, and noblenefs, their feat
Build in her lovelieft, and create an awe
About her, as a guard angelick plac'd.

To whom the angel with contracted brow :
Accufe not nature, fhe hath done her part;
Do thou but thine; and be not diffident
Of wisdom; she deserts thee not, if thou
Difmifs not her, when most thou need'ft her nigh;
By attributing over-much to things

Lefs excellent, as thou thy felf perceiv'ft.

For what admir'ft thou, what tranfports thee fo?
An outfide? fair, no doubt, and worthy well
Thy cherishing, thy honouring, and thy love;
Not thy fubjection. Weigh with her thyself;
Then value oft-times nothing profits more
Than felf-esteem, grounded on just and right
Well-manag'd; of that skill the more thou know'ft,
The more fhe will acknowledge thee her head,
And to realities yield all her shows:
Made fo adorn for thy delight the more,

So awful, that with honour thou may'ft love

Thy mate, who fees when thou art feen leaft wife.
But if the fenfe of touch, whereby mankind
Is propagated, feem fuch dear delight.

545.

550

555

560

565

57Q

575

580

Beyond all other, think the fame vouchfaf'd
To cattle and each beast; which would not be
To them made common, and divulg'd, if ought
Therein enjoy'd were worthy to fubdue
The foul of man, or paffion in him move.
What high'er in her society thou find'st
Attractive, human,, rational, love ftill;
In loving thou doft well, in paffion not;
Wherein true love confifts not: love refines
The thoughts, and heart enlarges; hath his feat
In reas'on, and is judicious; is the fcale
By which to heav'nly love thou mayft afcend;
Not funk in carnal pleafure: for which caufe
Among the beats no mate for thee was found.

To whom thus half abafh'd Adam reply'd:
Neither her outfide form'd fo fair, nor ought
In procreation common to all kinds,
(Though higher of the genial bed by, far,
And with myfterious reverence I deem),
So much delights me, as those graceful acts,,
Thofe thousand decencies that daily flow
From all her words and actions mix'd with love
And fweet compliance, which declare unfeign'd.

5.85

590

595

600

L. 591.and is judicious.] To be judicious, means here to choose proper qualities in Eve for the object of love; to love her. only for what is truly amiable: not for the fenfe of touch whereby mankind is propagated, 1. 579, &c. but for what Adam found higher in her fociety, human, and rational, 1. 586, &c, Pearce.

L. 598. Though higher of the genial bed by far.] The genial bed, fo Horace, Epift. 1. I. 87. lectus genialis. And with mysterious reverence I deem. He had applied this epithet to marriage before, in B. iv. 1. 743.

He means by it fomething that was not proper to be divulged, but ought to be kept in religious filence, and revered like the mysteries. Newton,

Union of mind, or in us both one foul;
Harmony to behold in wedded pair

More grateful than harmonious found to th' ear.
Yet these fubject not: I to thee disclose
What inward thence I feel; not therefore foil'd,
Who meet with various objects, from the fenfe
Variously reprefenting; yet ftill free

Approve the best, and follow what I approve.

To love thou blam'ft me not; for love, thou fay'st,
Leads up to heav'n; is both the way and guide:
Bear with me then, if lawful what I afk:

605

δια

Love not the heav'nly fpi'rits, and how their love 615
Exprefs they, by looks only', or do they mix
Irradiance, virtual or immediate touch?

To whom the angel, with a smile that glow'd
Celestial rofy red, love's proper hue,

Anfwer'd: Let it fuffice thee that thou know'ft
Us happy', and without love no happiness..
Whatever pure thou in the body' enjoy'ft,
fAnd pure thou wert created), we enjoy
In eminence, and obstacle find none

Of membrane, joint, or limb, exclusive bars;
Eafier than air with air, if fpirits embrace,
Total they mix; union of pure with pure
Defiring; nor reftrain'd conveyance need,.
As flesh to mix with flesh, or foul with foul..
But I can now no more: the parting fun
Beyond the earth's green cape and verdant ifles
Hefperian fets, my fignal to depart.

Be ftrong, live happy, and love but first of all,
Him, whom to love is to obey, and keep

620

625

630

His great command: take heed left paffion fway 635

Thy judgment to do ought, which elfe free-will
Would not admit: thine, and of all thy fons,
The weal or wo in thee is plac'd; beware!
I in thy perfevering fhall rejoice,,

And all the blefs'd. Stand faft! to ftand, or fall, 640
Free in thine own arbitrement it lies:
Perfect within, no outward aid require ;
And all temptation to tranfgrefs repel.

So faying, he arofe; whom Adam thus
Follow'd with benediction. Since to part,
Go heav'nly gueft, ethereal meffenger,
Sent from whose sov'reign goodness I adore.
Gentle to me, and affabie, hath been

Thy condefcenfion, and shall be' honour'd ever
With grateful memory: thou to mankind
Be good and friendly still, and oft return.
So parted they; the angel up to heav'n
From the thick fhade, and Adam to his bow'r.

645

650

End of BooK EIGHTH.

The ARGUMENT of Book IX.

SATAN, having compaffed the earth, with meditated guile returns as a mift by night into Paradife, and enters into the ferpent fleeping. Adam and Eve in the morning go forth to their labours; which Eve proposes. to divide in feveral places, each labouring apart: Adam confents not, alleging the danger, left that enemy, of whom they were forewarned, should attempt her found alone: Eve, loath to be thought not circumfpect or firm enough, urges her going apart, the rather defirous to make trial of her ftrength; Adam at laft yields. The ferpent finds her alone; his fubtle approach, first gazing, then speaking, with much flattery extolling Eve above all other creatures. Eve, wondering to hear the ferpent fpeak, afks how he attained to human speech, and fuch understanding, not till now; the ferpent anfwers, that by tafting of a certain tree in the garden he attained both to Speech and reafon, till then void of both: Eve requires him to bring her to that tree, and finds it to be the Tree of Knowledge forbidden: the ferpent now grown bolder, with many wiles and arguments induces her at length to eat; fhe, pleafed with the tafte, delibe·rates a while whether to impart thereof to Adam or not ; at laft brings him of the fruit, relates what perfuaded her to eat thereof: Adam, at firft amazed, but perceiving her loft, refolves through vehemence of love to perish with her; and, extenuating the trefpafs, eats alfo of the fruit: the effects thereof in them both; they feek to cover their nakedness; then fall to variance, and accufation of one another.